Alien Assault: Bradley's Saga
by TheHitcherEels
Summary: Based off the events surrounding a particular character in my current XCOM: EU playthrough. A tale of adventure, discovery, action, and romance, with a bit of humor added for comic relief. Follow Elizabeth Bradley in her fight for humanity's survival against the alien threat. WARNING: I accidentally lost a few missions worth of writing.
1. Introduction

Alien Assault: Bradley's Saga

Introduction

Pop. Pop. Pop.

The world slowed down around me. At that very moment, I was one with my surroundings, one with the world, one with my gun. We were one entity, fluid with the ebb and flow of the universe, but at the same time, a distinct power – one that could take lives.

I inhaled and exhaled and inhaled once more before I squeezed the trigger, sending a bullet straight for my target. I quickly dispatched all three in succession. I watched my targets all fall to the ground while liquid from inside them sprayed from their wounds.

I always loved to shoot soda cans when I was a kid. I'd swipe my brother's BB gun and a few full cans, take them into my backyard, and I'd set them up, imagining that they were really bad guys and that I was a hero expediting their trip to meet their maker.

Of course, things were a hell of a lot simpler back then. Now, I'm an official US Army soldier, sworn to defend and protect freedom for all. I'm at the bottom of the food chain, of course, as I'm but the mere rank of Private. At least I was commended for my marksmanship.

I walked towards the buses after the ceremony. I was headed home, and very happily so. Basic Combat Training is very tiring, and I was homesick. I couldn't wait to see Momma and Papa and my older brother. They'd all be so proud of me!

As I was walking towards the buses, a Colonel came up to me and said, "Pvt. Bradley, you have different orders than the rest. Follow me."

"Yes sir," I responded with gusto, although inside, I was very reluctant to follow him. I guess it is just what happens when you are a soldier; you have to drop everything at beck and call to carry out the duties you swore you'd do to the best of your ability.

The Colonel led me to a limousine and a driver opened the door for us. I sat down in a very plush seat and fastened my seat belt. I was dumbfounded when I looked up.

"Mr. President, Generals," I said as I saluted them.

"Stand down, Bradley," the president responded in his muted and soft voice.

"Would you like a drink, Bradley?" inquired the Colonel.

"Sir, I don't feel comfortable having a superior be my bartender."

"I'm no longer your superior. You've been reassigned," the Colonel responded. "You are no longer a US soldier. You no longer exist. All files on you have been redacted, and your family has been informed of your passing. I'm sorry for their loss. You are a good soldier and a good person."

"What?" I asked, in shock. "What's happening, sir?"

The President of the United States chimed in, "You possess skills as a soldier that many trained ones do not have. You are extremely athletic and excelled in all physical training exercises during BCT. You are a very skilled shot as well, and you have a brain to match your above average capabilities. This makes you invaluable to the country and worth more than basic grunt work. Unfortunately, we have to hand you over for a higher cause, humanity's cause."

"Sir, I still do not understand," I stuttered.

"What it means is that you are now a special operations soldier for a new, top secret organization," one of the Generals added. "We cannot discuss this now. Wait until we are airborne."

We arrived at the airport and boarded Air Force One. Once we took off and reached cruising altitude, I was given a pair of ACU pants with the original multicam pattern on them, a tan t-shirt, and some tan combat boots. I changed out of my Class A's into the new outfit, and I was escorted to a conference room onboard the aircraft.

"Alright, Bradley, here is the situation: as we speak, there is an incident in Germany that is inhuman in origin. It is extra-terrestrial," the Chief of Staff told me.

"It's aliens. Like...,"

"Yes. Aliens," the Vice President interrupted. "They abducted several civilians in Hamburg, and the UN wants retribution. However, we haven't the foggiest idea where these fuckers are operating from or what they want with these people."

"Yes. Sixteen United Nations members have grouped up to form a council, which will direct the emergency government, the new anti-alien organization, and the resistance to the alien occupation, if need be," the President added.

"These aliens are far more advanced than we are as a civilization, but we don't know how much more advanced they are exactly. That is why we need exceptional soldiers to go and fight the alien threat as members of this new organization, XCOM. We've already sent two other American's out there. I hate to admit it, but you're the freshest of the bunch. You're gunna have to prove yourself to the rest," a General stated.

"Oh. Where are we headed?" I asked.

"Germany," the President responded. "Once we land you'll be picked up by a VTOL aircraft and sent to the top secret underground base. Get some refreshments and relax for the rest of the flight, Bradley. Good luck."

The rest of the flight was rather uneventful. I took a nap. When we landed at Ramstein AFB, I was immediately transferred to the new craft. I seemed to be the last to arrive because the craft already had seven others on board, and I was stuck by the door. I didn't mind though. I pulled out my MP3 and listened to music while peeking out a tiny porthole on the ramp.

This flight was a lot shorter, not even an hour. We landed in the hanger and were immediately introduced to a guy named Bradford, but he told us to call him Central. Then, a guard walked us to the barracks section of the base and gave us a brief tour.

At the end of the tour, we finally made it to an actual barracks filled with bunks.

"Alright, guys. Hope you enjoyed the scenery. Here's the barracks. Bathroom's over there. Grab a bunk and put your shit on it to claim it," droned out the tour guide, who was clearly displeased with his task of escorting the newbies. "Now, if you need anything, go find someone else. I'm done with this bullshit."

"Wait!" called out one of the female recruits. "Where is the ladies barracks, eh?" I guess she was Canadian.

"The guard did a one-eighty and, with a smirk on his face, said, "Everything is co-ed here, babe. Have fun!" The guard left the room, chuckling, clearly amused by the predicament. The girl who asked clearly wasn't as amused.

"Oh. Great," she said with a heavy sigh.

"Afraid to show yourself off to your brothers in arms, eh?" mocked a male Indian soldier.

"Oh, shut up, Singh!" a man with an Australian accent chimed in. "Hey, Canuck! Ignore him. He's just a thirsty asshole."

Great. Just a wonderful and eventful day in general. I really miss my family, but I guess these guys at XCOM are my family now. I think I'll turn in for the night. By the way today has gone, I can tell that I am gunna need tons of rest.


	2. Chapter 1: First Contact

Rk. Elizabeth Bradley's Log

1 March 2015

"Oh shit, I don't like this," I heard one of the recruits say from the other room.

"I heard that the aliens are more advanced than we thought," another recruit added.

A voice came in from the hallway. "Well, we believe so, but we don't know anything for sure yet. What we do know for sure is that they are a hell of a lot more advanced than we are." The voice was Central's. "But some of you guys are about to find out first hand. We have a mission. Edwards, Hansen, Mabuza, and Bradley, get your gear and head to the Skyranger."

Oh God, I was scared shitless. Of course I was selected to be on the first mission, having no combat experience whatsoever. I just have horrible luck.

I put on my body armor, which was fairly heavy, and I grabbed an assault rifle from the armory. I followed my fellow teammates to the hanger, and we all boarded the Skyranger. Not a word was said on the way over to Hamburg.

When we got there, the VTOL landed and dropped its ramp for us. We all disembarked. Dead ahead, there was an alleyway, with stores to each side. I ran up to a blue pickup and took cover behind it. I covered my squadmates as they advanced into the alleyway. The only sound I could hear was our own footsteps and the Skyranger's whiny drone.

We split up into two teams; I and one guy stacked up against the first door on the left, while the other two stacked up against the first door on the right. We counted down from three. The guy with me, a Nigerian named Mabuza, pushed the door open, and I went into the building immediately after. Mabuza was right on my six, but there was no need for him to be there. The shop, which was some kind of bar (Shocker. It is Germany, after all.), was clear of enemies. We moved over to a door on the other side of the bar, which led back into the alleyway. Right as we reached the door, I heard the other team over the radio.

"Breaching," said one of the guys. He had an American accent, so I assumed it was Edwards's voice.

"Hostiles spotted," screamed the other, who seemed to have a Scandinavian accent going on. He must've been Hansen. My heart was racing. We encountered alien life on Earth on my first mission! Hansen's voice came in over the radio again. "Grenade out!" he screamed as a warning to his teammates. A few seconds later, I heard an explosion, followed promptly with "Two down!" being said through the comms.

Mabuza and I looked at each other, both of us clearly dying to get some action. Mabuza kicked in the door and sprinted across the alleyway, while I covered him. He returned the favor when it was my turn to cross. While we were crossing the alleyway, I heard some shots fired, followed by Edwards's voice coming in through the radio rejoicing with the words "Tango down!"

I really didn't want to miss this fight. It was my first combat mission ever, while everyone else on my team on this mission had some form of experience. You could tell just by observing their behavior back on the Skyranger. I wanted to earn the respect of my fellow soldiers.

Without even counting down or warning Mabuza, I kicked in the door and I sprinted to a support column for cover. That's when I saw it; it was a "gray alien" type creature: small, awkward, and 'bug-eyed'. I was in awe by it. How could something so feeble be so menacing? Better yet, I was more amazed by the amazing position that I had over the creature. I had him outflanked, and he was shocked by my entrance. I quickly popped around the corner, got my sight on the little creature's head, and I pulled the trigger.

"Headshot!" I yelled, pumping my fist into the air. I had just taken my first life in combat against these creatures that are threatening humanity. I'm honestly glad that my first kill wasn't a human. I feel like I would've been more distraught about it than jubilant. But now, I have alien blood on my hands, and on my first mission, too! The others have to respect me now!

After I took him down, we scoured the bookstore we were in. The building was clear. Central came in over the comms, "We just scanned the AO with a satellite. No heat signatures left in the AO other than those designated as friendlies. Board the Skyranger, and head back to base."

On the way back, Edwards and Hansen were chatting up a storm, telling Mabuza and I exactly how it went down and sharing the memory of their first alien takedowns together. Mabuza, on the other hand, stuck to himself. I think he was rather upset that he didn't get to share in our glory.

When we landed back at base, there was a large group of people cheering us on. Right then, Central came up to me, and said "Job well done, Bradley! How does it feel to have a successful first mission?"

"It feels great, sir!" I beamed back at him, with a smile to match my enthusiasm.

"Great. Well, things will only get better for you today. You're to be promoted to the rank of Squaddie, as are Edwards and Hansen. Good job, guys," Central applauded.

Mabuza really was displeased now. I kinda feel bad for him. He did get the short end of the stick. He went straight for the barracks, not even hanging around for our promotion ceremony.

The ceremony was brief. Nothing special, but when we received our new ranks, we all were showing our teeth. What was even more interesting is that we weren't only promoted, but we were given specializations. For example, I was given the specialization of an Assault Trooper, which means I'm authorized to wield a shotgun. However, longer ranged weapons are more my style, so I'm sticking with an assault rifle. Edwards became a sniper, which is pretty self-explanatory, and Hansen became a Support Trooper, which is kind of like a medic.

After the promotion, while I was headed for the elevator to the barracks, I heard a voice calling out my name from down the hall behind me.

"Hey! Squaddie Bradley!" I turned around. It was Hansen. "Congratulations on your promotion. You deserved it."

Another voice came from around the corner, and Edwards popped out from behind it.

"Swedes, why are you congratulating her? She showed up to the party at the last moment and took out the little dude while I was aiming at him. We deserved the promotion, but quite frankly, she didn't," Edwards sneered.

I was really pissed off. He was insulting and belittling my role in the mission! I saved his ass from being shot by that little gray fuck! So, hell yeah, I responded to him, and I wasn't so friendly about it.

"Excuse you, Edwards. I made that shot fair and square and I prevented him from firing a shot through your arm, which was poking out of your cover. I deserved that promotion just as much as you did. We both have the same amount of alien blood on our hands. So you can apologize to me and thank me for saving your ass."

"And you can fuck off, Bradley. We didn't need you," Edwards spat, as he walked past me and around the corner into a lounge room.

"Don't worry about him, Bradley. Edwards has a stick permanently stuck in his ass. I learned that when he became my bunkmate," Hansen consoled.

"Thanks Hansen," I replied, "and congrats to you, too. Also, you can call me Elizabeth."

"Thanks, but I'll stick with Bradley. I'm used to going by surnames or nicknames. But, you have to call me Swedes. I've got more combat experience than you. I heard you are fresh off the line, so you best listen to me," Hansen joked. "Edwards gave me the nickname trying to be an asshole, but I kind of like it." He gave a big hearty laugh.

"Nice to meet you, Swedes."

"And same to you, Bradley. Hey, I'm starving; you want to go grab something from the mess hall?" Swedes inquired in his thick Swedish accent.

"Sure. I'm kinda hungry myself," I responded with a slight smile.

So Swedes, my new friend, and I went up to the mess hall to grab some grub. We talked while eating, and he's actually a pretty nice guy. I'll probably write more about him later, but for now, I'm signing off. It has been a long day, and I'm dying for some sleep.

-Sq. Elizabeth Bradley, XCOM Assault Trooper


End file.
